Seminole High School locked down after student brings mercury-filled thermometer to class for chemis - Polidicks

Seminole High School locked down after student brings mercury-filled thermometer to class for chemistry project Local WTSP12:42 PM, Dec 4, 2012 [quote]A chemistry project caused a big problem at Pinellas' Seminole High School Tuesday morning. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says students were given an assignment to bring in a substance from the Periodic Table of Elements. One student brought in mercury -- contained within a thermometer -- and the school went into lockdown. Deputies say the thermometer was discovered as the substances were checked before going through the school. No one was put in harm's way, but a hazmat crew was there as a precaution. Pinellas County Schools tell 10 News the students were told not to bring certain toxic elements from the periodic table, mercury included.[/quote] [url]http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/285396/8/School-locked-down-over-thermometer[/url] Seriously? If this is such a big deal, why are schools using mercury filled lights?

ahahaha what the fuck is wrong with these people

Wow, that's a pathetic waste of time right there. It's cliche, but [i]my grandfather played with mercury in class[/i] during high school. It's not as if he brought in something radioactive or a gun.

Obama sabotaged this kids thermometer.

what the actual fuck

Someone shattered a mercury-filled thermometer in the hall in school once. The school was closed for a week while they ripped out all the carpets and sent in a hazmat crew to clean up the place.

There are overreactions, and then there's this.

[quote][...], but a hazmat crew was there as a precaution.[/quote] Unless he brought the planet, I have no explanation for this.

[QUOTE=nicatronTg;38723042]Wow, that's a pathetic waste of time right there. It's cliche, but [i]my grandfather played with mercury in class[/i] during high school. It's not as if he brought in something radioactive or a gun.[/QUOTE] Your grandfather played with mercury? My brother used mercury thermometers in Summer school (naturally someone broke one [what do you expect from middle schoolers?] and that class got canceled for a day.)

we have one old as fuck mercury thermometer in the closet in one of our classes. As long as they just don't let it break it is safer than a pen.

Fucking pathetic.

I once brought in a mercury thermometer at show and tell in school and it was broken, everyone became insane and turned into lighthouse keepers

Jesus, it's not like he brought it to engage in chemical warfare. [editline] . [/editline] What was he going to do, stick it up somebody's ass and break it?

We were using mercury thermometers just last year in high school...

[QUOTE=download;38723192]We were using mercury thermometers just last year in high school...[/QUOTE] Yeah...we use them in my college's labs, I don't see why anyone would make a big deal out of this. I could see something being done if it broke, but all he did was bring it to school.

I live like 15 minutes away from there. Not really surprised.

When I was a kid I broke a mercury thermometer and my mum used a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the stuff...

Heh, my older brother had his teacher playing around with it a bit. Then he allowed the students to as well.

[QUOTE=SnakeHead;38723113]Someone shattered a mercury-filled thermometer in the hall in school once. The school was closed for a week while they ripped out all the carpets and sent in a hazmat crew to clean up the place.[/QUOTE] Yea, this is why they went batshit crazy but calling hazmat was stupid. We get it, schools used to let kids touch and play with mercury once but then we all figured out that was a horrible idea but my god you dont need to call in the army if a kid brings in a thermometer filled with probably a few grams of the stuff if it isnt even broken.

Sad thing is, if it really is as bad as they're (over)reacting, why are they pushing those swirly bulbs for the home? I mean seriously, double standard to the extremes much?

Wow. Put a school on Lock Down and call in HazMat over something that every single one of us has had in our mouths probably more than once as a child at some point What's next, suspending children for pointing their fingers? Oh wait they've done that too

a fucking hazmat crew? for a fucking thermometer? what

[QUOTE=Glaber;38723478]Sad thing is, if it really is as bad as they're (over)reacting, why are they pushing those swirly bulbs for the home? I mean seriously, double standard to the extremes much?[/QUOTE] There is hardly enough of it to be much of a concern and they do not have a record of exploding spontaneously unless hit or dropped so it is contained just fine. If they do break there is a few things you got to do along with venting the area and keeping people away but after it is cleaned the threat is gone. The EPA has a page saying what to do and if you have no god damn clue what else to do you can just call poison control.

[QUOTE=Raidyr;38723069]Obama sabotaged this kids thermometer.[/QUOTE] "President" Obongo does it again

Holy shit, that kid brought an old thermometer into school as part of an assignment? BETTER CALL CAPTAIN PLANET

[QUOTE=The golden;38723517]I would imagine the hazmat guys felt like their time was thoroughly wasted. Years of education and training just so they end up cleaning up[B] some kids mess in school.[/B][/QUOTE] But it wasn't even broken According to the OP it was just a regular non broken thermometer, so they had to bring in the fucking hazmat guys for no reason It reminds me of Monsters Inc when the guys come in through the windows by helicopter and evacuate everybody in the building because there was a child's sock in there

Hey, I went there. Nice to see SHS made the news again this year.

Wow. We used to have an electronics set that had mercury thermometers in it and shit. School still not in lockdown. One breaks? Just casually wipe it up with an oven mitt and a towel, and spray down the table. School still not in lockdown.

One of my old chemistry teachers (5 or so years ago) poured some mercury on each of our tables to demonstrate how it behaves. There was no lockdown, no complain, no anything. Same teacher also poured liquid nitrogen over our hands to demonstrate the layer or vapour it rapidly forms, preventing one's hands from getting cold too quickly. He also showed us some radioactive stuff.

Like, six years ago when I was in primary school my teacher brought in a jar of mercury, poured it onto a table and let us move the table to see it rolling around. It was probably the coolest thing to happen in primary school and not a single person went crazy and decided to make hats for a living.